Chapter 4

           Thenwediscussedthefoodquestion.Georgesaid: 

           "Beginwithbreakfast." (Georgeissopractical.) "Nowforbreakfastweshallwantafrying-pan"—(Harrissaiditwasindigestible;butwemerelyurgedhimnottobeanass,andGeorgewenton)—"atea-potandakettle,andamethylatedspiritstove." 

           "Nooil,"saidGeorge,withasignificantlook;andHarrisandIagreed. 

           Wehadtakenupanoil-stoveonce,but"neveragain." Ithadbeenlikelivinginanoil-shopthatweek. Itoozed. Ineversawsuchathingasparaffineoilistoooze. Wekeptitinthenoseoftheboat,and,fromthere,itoozeddowntotherudder,impregnatingthewholeboatandeverythinginitonitsway,anditoozedovertheriver,andsaturatedthesceneryandspoilttheatmosphere. Sometimesawesterlyoilywindblew,andatothertimesaneasterlyoilywind,andsometimesitblewanortherlyoilywind,andmaybeasoutherlyoilywind; butwhetheritcamefromtheArcticsnows,orwasraisedinthewasteofthedesertsands,itcamealiketousladenwiththefragranceofparaffineoil. 

           Andthatoiloozedupandruinedthesunset;andasforthemoonbeams,theypositivelyreekedofparaffine. 

           WetriedtogetawayfromitatMarlow. Welefttheboatbythebridge,andtookawalkthroughthetowntoescapeit,butitfollowedus. Thewholetownwasfullofoil. Wepassedthroughthechurch-yard,anditseemedasifthepeoplehadbeenburiedinoil. TheHighStreetstunkofoil; wewonderedhowpeoplecouldliveinit. AndwewalkedmilesuponmilesoutBirminghamway;butitwasnouse,thecountrywassteepedinoil.